298 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Drepana harpagula (Platypteryx sioula) at Clifton. — As I 

 believe that Platypteryx sicula has not been recorded for several years 

 past, I am pleased to note that the insect is still to be found, though 

 rarely and with difficulty, in its old haunts in Leigh Woods, near Bristol. 

 Mr. W. H. Grigg, the former captor of so many specimens, was good 

 enough to accompany me to the locality on 12th September in search of 

 the larvae, and our afternoon's work resulted in four, three of which fell to 

 Mr. Grigg's tray, but which he kindly presented to me. All of them 

 fed-up well, and have pupated. A day or two after our capture, Mr. W. K. 

 Mann obtained a larva from the same group of trees. — G. C. Griffiths ; 

 43, Caledonian Place, Clifton. 



I am glad to be able to record taking a single larva of Platypteryx sicula 

 [Drepana harpagula'] on September 1 4th in Leigh Woods, Clifton. This 

 species, although well worked for, has not been taken for four years. — 

 W. K. Mann ; CHfton, Bristol. 



Heliothis armiger in the Hastings District. — In July last I 

 found a larva of this species on tomato. It changed to the pupa the same 

 month ; the moth emerged early in September, and was kindly determined 

 by the Kev. E. N. Bloomfield, of Guestling. — H. W. Ford-Lindsat ; The 

 Shrubbery, Clive Vale, Hastings, November 2, 1891. 



Cucullia absinthii in Devonshire. — In reply to Mr. Bartlett 

 (ante, 245), I beg to say that from 1874 to 1878 I used to take the larvae 

 of this species in the greatest abundance at Slapton Lea, and I have met 

 with it elsewhere, both in South and North Devon, wherever its food-plant 

 occurred, but never in such profusion as at Slapton. — Gervase F. Mathew ; 

 Lee House, Dovercourt, November 9, 1891. 



AcHERONTiA ATROPOs AT GospoRT. — Whilst collecting the other 

 evening in a brick-field near Gosport, a scholar of St. Matthew's Boys' 

 School, Gosport, captured a fine specimen of Acherontia atropos. — W. H. 

 Mackett; St. Matthew's School, Gosport, Oct. 12, 1891. 



Lary^ of Phorodesma smaragdaria. — On Saturday, Sept. 12th, 

 hearing that Geometra [Phorodesma'] smaragdaria larvae were to be found 

 commonly, I went down with a friend to the Essex salt-marshes, and, 

 though we had only a little over two hours to search, we succeeded in 

 finding 53. I know of some 260 specimens that have been taken there 

 this autumn. — R. E. James ; Chesterville, Hornsey Lane, N., Oct. 7, 1 891. 



Larv^ of Apamea ophiogramma IN Nottingham. — In my garden I 

 took a number of larvas of Apamea ophiogramma in September (kindly 

 identified by Mr. South), feeding on ribbon-grass. They feed at night, 

 creeping in the daytime down the hollow stems of the grass, or hiding near 

 the ground. They buried in cocoa-fibre about October 14th, but had not 

 changed ten days after, so may be hybernating. I believe that this is the 

 first time the larva has been taken in the Midlands, but it may prove to be 

 common when hunted for at the right time, as I have found it in two other 

 gardens in the village. — Douglas H. Pearson; The College, Chilwell, 

 Nottingham. 



Larv^ of Hadena pjsi. — With reference to the food-plant of this 

 species [ante, pp. 245, 269), I do not think that it is very particular, but 

 will feed on a variety of shrubs and low plants. Some years ago, in the 



